With the Canadian media’s coverage of books becoming increasingly sporadic, fewer titles each season are able to distinguish themselves from the pack, and awards are being forced to shoulder more and more of the cultural conversation. As a result, the shortlist has emerged as one of the few remaining tools for keeping multiple books on the nation’s radar at one time.
This week I put my real journalist’s hat back on for a look at the economy of literary awards and nominations. Along the way I got to interview local luminaries like Lynn Coady and Todd Babiak, as well as the good people at NeWest Press. It was a lot of fun, I worked really hard on it, and I learned stuff.
And it’s the cover story in Vue Weekly. So check it out, would you?
Jan 12, 2012